1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention pertains to medical devices for securing bodily tissue and, more particularly, to soft tissue washers for use with screws to attach soft tissue to bone.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art:
Soft tissue washers are used with screws for the surgical attachment of soft tissue, such as ligaments, to bone, as described in an article entitled "Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repairs in World Class Skiers" by R. W. Higgins, M.D., et al, The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 15, No. 6, pp. 439-447, 1987. During surgical procedures to attach soft tissue to bone, such as to attach the anterior cruciate ligament to the femur and as described in the Higgins et al article, a soft tissue washer is used in combination with a cancellous screw such that, when the screw is tightened, the washer penetrates the tissue to contact the bone. Dependent upon the repair required, frequently it is desired to use sutures along with the soft tissue washers.
Prior art soft tissue washers for use with cancellous screws, as exemplified by the "AO" spiked washers and cancellous screws manufactured by Synthes Ltd., have the disadvantages of having relatively high profiles creating obstructions subject to contact with tissue, of not being designed to accommodate sutures, of compressing the soft tissue along the entire distal surface and of easily penetrating the bone at an angle to the perpendicular since all distal protrusions are spiked to permit penetration.